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A Four-Step Process for Coaching

There are lots of ways to define ways to success as coach, but what’s the best way to achieve it?

In a blog entry on his web site CoachingSportsToday, long-time college crew coach Mike Davenport offers four steps coaches can follow to help them achieve success, regardless of how they define it.

The first is look. Davenport says the first step is knowing where you are in the present. Your vision guides where you want to go but you first have to know where you are. As a example, he says a coach who wants to improve team culture might start by asking a colleague to watch their team and report what they see, talk with teachers and staff at the school about your athletes, or check out social media sites to see what your program looks like to others. The key is to get as much input as you can and be open to what you find.

Step two is see. Once you’ve gotten that input you need to analyze it. Look for patterns or trends that reflect on what you’re trying to achieve. So if you’re concerned about team culture look for instances of positive and negative referrals from teachers? Are athletes showing up to practice on-time and prepared?

However be careful not to get lost in a sea of data. Not every piece of information is important As Davenport writes, “Bob always wears pink socks to practice is probably not relevant, but the pink socks covering up a tattoo saying how much he hates your team probably is.”

Step three is imagine. Now that you know what’s happening, you can turn your focus to what you want. You want to think, “What if” instead “We can’t do that.” If you team culture isn’t supportive, visualize what a supportive culture looks like and how to get there.

The final step is tell. Having a vision means nothing if you keep it to yourself. Take what you’ve imagined and tell others, whether through stories, videos, songs, speech, or more. You want to present a clear view for others of where you want to go and how you are going to get there.